Does anyone have experience with this device on the 4.0 V8 turbo engine? Looks like interesting option, esp since TechArt doesn't sell it's tuning products in USA. Plug and play without ECU removal.

 

It is plug and play and does not require ECU removal. The instruction from Race Chip are based on a Lamborghini Urus which has the same motor and connectors. However the Lamborghini has a lot more room around the lower front sensors that need to accessed. On my car equipped with PDCC I had to remove the front bumper and move the radiator support forward to access those sensors. I'm not sure if it would be different for a non PDCC car.

It does make a noticeable difference in power once installed.

 

The video of install on Panamera looks easy. They don't have a Cayenne video, guessing if you have to remove the bumper... I have a 2020 Turbo Coupe without PDCC. I like that they use the Urus as their vehicle, should be reliable parameters. I will check with dealer on the install. Thanks

 

I have a 2017 Panamera turbo. That install is completely different. All the sensors are accessible from above. It takes about 15 min to do the Panamera. Please let us know what your installer does to install it.

 

Did you notice any difference on the performance of the Panamera?

 

They are similar with regard to improved power. The cayenne has more aggressive shifts in sport plus mode than the panamera.

 

Thank you. I meant did you notice improvement over the Panamera stock performance . (not in comparison to the Cayenne)

 

Will the chip be in violation of the warranty? If not, I'd install it for sure, but also have on order, a GTS coupe w/ PDCC. It has every performance option / package actually, except carbon fiber brakes.

 

Yes definitely. This is about 93 hp over stock. There is a noticeable difference in performance.

 

Anyone knows if you can make RaceChip work on a new Panamera 4.0L GTS engine (473hp)? All websites including RaceChip’s speak only of the 2.9L 4s or the 4.0L turbo (550hp). I know the GTS version is supposed to be a lower boost pressure version of the turbo engine but not sure how that affects (if at all) the RaceChip mapping parameters. In other words, could I safely install the RaceChip for the turbo version? And what would be the expected gain??

 

If the chip presence is detectable through diagnostics, then the powertrain warranty will most likely be voided. The warranty for other systems (electrical and electronics) may also be at risk. Chip tuning could also create issues with the leasing company and complicate the return of the car upon the expiry of the leasing term (at least, in some markets).

In case of Audi, ABT limited warranty partially replaces the manufacture's warranty, but Audi and ABT work in cooperation and ABT chips are distributed through Audi dealership network. TechArt also seems to have some kind of warranty but one needs to carefully read the fine print.

 

Is it detectable?? I'm not that concerned about lease return, because I assume it can be reverted back before return??

 

Well if you remove before a dealer visit then obviously it's not going to be caught however when they run diagnostics they can tell if the boost and timing has been monkeyed with so i don't think you're much safer with this method.
Diagnostic equipment is pretty sophisticated and gets better every year as do the vehicles technology.
Still a big gamble but unlikely to cause problems. Let's just hope you don't have a bad engine/transmission that goes at the same time you install.

 

The bold part isn't necessarily true in the USA, more on that below....

There are two types of modifications that modify the ECU.

Software flash, and Piggyback modules.

Software flash CAN be detected by the dealer, and are generally significantly better because the standard OEM ECU still has it's fail safe's built in. Many computers keep track of how many times the software has been flashed with a flash counter, but a dealer would need to go looking for the flash. This is where the tuner overwrites the ECU with a new engine map. A reputable tuner always know what they're doing with the software, and these are generally very safe for the engine.

Warranty concerns really depend on if your dealer is mod friendly or not. The Magnuson Moss Warranty act in the USA requires that the dealer needs to prove that the specific failure was specifically caused by the modification before denying a warranty claim, but in real world terms, this is a real challenge for the consumer. I've seen lots of geniuses on the internet claim Magnuson Moss protects them, but good luck fighting the dealer in court over it. The court fees alone with the manufacturer's experts make it an unrealistic possibility. Technically, they can't just void the powertrain warranty without due process, but reality and technicality are different things.

Now Piggyback modules on the other hand, are a separate component that install between the sensors on the engine and the ECU.

They trick the car into providing more boost, timing, air and whatever else the tuner programs into their system. Since it's a wiring harness and a computer box, it's completely removable prior to brining the car to the dealer for service. Meaning that it is completely undetectable by the dealer, if you fit one to your car and you remove it prior to service. Some are easy to remove, some are more difficult. I've had mod friendly dealers, so I've never removed them before service, which is a risk, but I've typically not cared.

Piggyback modules have fail safes, but aren't anywhere near as sophisticated as a flash tune. For my money, I've always preferred flash tunes because they generally make more power, and also depending on the car and the dealer service department, but piggybacks from a reputable vendor are a very very good alternative.

FYI- Race Chip is a piggyback.... JB4 is a piggyback.... Fabspeed is a flash.... VR Tuned is also a flash.... Not sure what APR foes, but I'm guessing that it is a flash....